Luck Be a Lady (Tahoe Tessie Mysteries) (24 page)

But Stintner shook his head. "He saw his buddy was missing and took off. Good riddance. He knows what happens to him if he talks."

"He gets killed. Like Smith...and Cannetti."

Stintner grinned in earnest this time, showing off two rows of stained teeth. "That one practically fell into my lap. With one little push I got rid of Cannetti and sent a nice message to Weston as well. I believe that threat will make him think twice."

I blame the fear pumping adrenaline through my system that it wasn't until that moment that it dawned on me. "You sent Cannetti to break into my room. You were threatening me."

Stintner nodded slowly. "I didn't mean for him to hurt you, Tessie. Honest. It was just supposed to scare you."

"It did," I said, meaning it.

"I don't know why you had to go nosing around where it wasn't your business."

I felt my chin rise and before I could stop myself blurted out, "It
is
my business. This is my casino, remember?"

Stintner let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "You are so stubborn. Just like your dad."

I fought back emotion at the mention of him. "You killed him too, didn't you." I swallowed past the bile in my throat at the thought of standing in front of his killer.

This time any smug bragging about his crimes vanished, as a look of true sorrow crossed his features. "He was my friend once, Tess. But the man was so short-sighted. He thought he could run this place just like he always had. Old school. He was running it right into the ground."

"So you killed him for being a bad businessman?" I yelled, feeling anger replace some of my fear.

But Stintner shook his head. "No, I killed him because he was going to find out everything. I never thought it would come to that, I swear!" he said, emotion rising in his voice. His hand was shaking, the gun wagging back and forth at me. "It was my last option. I tried everything to get him off my trail. He just wouldn't let it go!" His grip wavered, trigger finger falling away.

And I realized it was now or never.

I lunged forward, shoving an elbow into his gut, and pushing him to the ground. The gun stayed tight in his hand, but the barrel was now pointed at the ceiling as Stintner tried to regain his footing. I didn't stick around to see if he succeeded, instead flying into the hallway. I tried two doors, both locked, before I heard the gun go off behind me and felt fire erupt in my shoulder, a bullet exploding into the door jamb next to me.

Ohmigod, I'd been shot!

I gritted my teeth past the searing pain, diving for the next door and trying the knob. I said a silent thank you that it was unlocked and shoved inside. It was some sort of large archive room, rows of racks filled with file folders in neat rows. I pulled my phone from my pocket, my fingers fumbling as I simultaneously tried to pull up Alfie's number and search for another way out. I was only able to get the number queued before Stintner's keys jingled in the door.

I tore down the middle aisle, and hunched down at the end in the shadows.

"Tessie," I heard Stintner's voice fill the room. "You know I can't let you leave here alive. I'm sorry for everything. There's no way out of this room, and I've got nothing scheduled for the rest of the day. I can wait as long as you can."

I bit my lip, wanting with all my heart to hit send on my phone. But as soon as I did, the light would give me away. I looked up, again seeing a void of cameras. The entire legal department must be without them. Damned things were everywhere until you needed them. I slowly stood, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, trying to remain quiet as I slid along the back wall in the darkness, feeling my way. My fingers grabbed a door handle. I said a silent prayer for another unlocked room as I turned the knob.

Despite not having been to church since I was twelve, my prayers were answered. The door opened easily in my hands. Unfortunately it also creaked on its hinges, instantly giving away my position. Stintner ran toward me, his shadowed features contorted to look like some scary Halloween mask of a mad man.

I slipped into the next room, which I quickly identified as not a room but a supply closet, then slammed the door shut, pushing on it with all my weight. I set my back against the door, bracing with my right leg against the wall, while balancing on my left. Then I pulled my phone back out and pressed send.

"Answer the phone, Alfie, please," I pleaded breathlessly, a death grip on the handle. Only the call dropped. I stared at the bars on my phone, desperation bubbling up in my throat. No reception in the supply closet.

I felt Stintner shove at the door from the other side, jarring my balance. "Tessie, you can't hide forever," he sing-songed.

I fought down a whimper realizing just how far gone he was. I was stuck in a supply closet, bleeding, with a mad man outside the door. I took two deep breaths, feeling Stintner push on the other side of the door again. Come
on, Tessie, keep it together.

Using the light from my phone, I scanned the room for anything I could shove against the door to bar Stintner's entrance. My legs were quickly giving out. After having re-swiped my phone to life twice, I finally spied an old style rag mop in one corner. I stretched out my good arm, my fingers just grazing the handle. I took a deep breath and stretched again, just as Stintner threw his weight at the door.

I cried out as the wood jarred against my shoulder, but the push gave me the extra inch I needed to reach the mop handle. I spun, wedging it between the square door handle and the corner of the small room, then stepped back taking a moment to breathe again.

"Tess-ie," he sing-songed. "It's only a matter of time before I get you, my dear."

I licked my lips. Not if I could help it.

I scanned the room again, this time looking for anything I could use as a weapon. The room was a hodge-podge of antiquated items—some old winter clothing, abandoned fax machines and Xerox toner, a badminton net with a hole in it, and a broken snowshoe. I tried the weight of the fax machine, but the thing was way heavier than I could lift and throw with any accuracy with my shoulder wound. Snowshoe it would have to be.

I hoisted my make-shift weapon into my hands, watching as Stintner slammed his weight against the door again. The mop wavered. Another couple of shoves and it wouldn't stand a chance of surviving.

I just hoped that I did.

Taking a deep breath, I mustered all the courage I could, said a prayer that my cat would not end up an orphan, then removed the mop from its wedged spot.

When Stintner's weight came barreling into the door again, it flew open. And I swung the snowshoe at him with all I had, smacking him in the face. His own inertia ratcheted him backwards, falling onto his back on the hard floor. The gun skittered across the concrete floor of the closet as his head made contact with a dull thud. I dove for the gun in the dim light, my fingers clenching around the sweaty grip and turning it on him—even though he looked like he'd clearly been knocked out cold—as I scooted toward the door. I shoved Stinter's prone form into the closet and slammed the door shut. I locked the closet door and set the gun carefully on a shelf. Then I leaned against the wall, afraid my legs had turned to complete mush.

My hands were shaking so badly it took me three tries to pull up Alfie's number again. I could have cried when he finally picked up with a gruff, "Malone?"

"Alfie, have I got a
story
you're going to love."

CHAPTER TWENTY

"Tessie?" Alfie's voice boomed from the hall.

"In here!" I called, afraid to take my eyes off of the room holding Stintner. Alfie burst through the door, flipping on the overhead lights, and I ran into his open arms.

"You're bleeding," he said, holding me tightly. "That bastard shot you?" His jaw clenched, the look in his eyes almost as murderous as Stintner's had been.

I nodded, dropping my head to his chest, soaking up the safety of his strong embrace. "Well, he shot at me. The bullet's in the wall somewhere over there," I said, waving vaguely toward the hallway. "I don't think he's much of a shot." Thank God.

"Where is the sorry son of a bitch?" Alfie ground out.

I pointed to the door with one hand, clinging to him with the other. I wasn't quite ready to stand on my own accord just yet.

"Is he still armed?"

"No, it's on the shelf." I pointed a shaking finger toward it.

Smoothing my hair, he said, "You did good, girl. This could have ended really badly."

I looked up at Alfie, trembling harder at the thought of the alternate ending. "What's going to happen to him?" I asked, not really sure I wanted to know the answer.

Jaw set, temple vein bulging, he muttered, "The man is damn lucky the cops are on their way. Probably best I don't open the door until they get here. Hard to say if there'd be anything left for the cops to arrest."

It didn't take long until the police did arrive, quickly filtering into the room with guns drawn. Alfie pointed toward the locked door, then ushered me out into a nearby office where paramedics arrived a beat behind the officers. Luckily, the bullet just grazed my shoulder, and the paramedic said all I'd need was a few stitches and I'd be as good as new. He quickly dressed the wound in gauze, then gave me a shot of some painkiller that was so nice I could have kissed him.

As he was finishing up, I saw the police escorting a dazed looking Stintner from the back room, parading him down the hallway in handcuffs. I couldn't help but notice the very large, very red snowshoe impression across one side of his face. A giggle escaped me.              

Alfie even snickered, clapping a protective hand on my good shoulder. "Your dad would be proud of you. Hell, I'm even proud of you."

I patted my pockets. "You have a pen I can use? This may never happen again. I need to get it in writing."

"Smart ass," he muttered, chucking me on the good shoulder again.

Someone cleared their throat loudly behind me, and I turned to find Agent Ryder standing in the doorway. He nodded toward Alfie. "Can I borrow her for a minute?"

Alfie walked toward him and straightened his tie, cinching it tightly around his neck. "Don't let her wander
anywhere
alone."

I giggled again. (Wow those painkillers were
really
good.)  Alfie's tough-guy act was actually kind of cute.

I wasn't sure Agent Ryder shared the same opinion, relaxing his collar as he took a step toward me. His eyes immediately went to the white bandage on my shoulder. "You okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Bullet just grazed me. I'll be fine. I might have a cool scar to impress the boys with, though," I joked.

But Ryder didn't laugh. Instead, he took a step closer, so close we were almost nose to nose.

Then, without warning, his lips pressed against mine. Minty gum and warm coffee flavors mixed with a rush of hormones to make my head spin. I felt one strong hand cradle the back of my head, the other press against the small of my back as heat spread rapidly through my system, pooling somewhere below my belly button. Just when I thought I was going to melt into a puddle of hormonal goo, Ryder pulled back.

"Wow," I breathed, the room still spinning.

"Sorry," he said, his voice coming out in short pants that matched mine. "But I've been dying to do that for days, now."

I felt the corner of my mouth tick upward. "Really? Days?"

He nodded, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. "Oh, yeah." The grin faltered a little. "And I never would have forgiven myself if I left without doing it."

I blinked. "L-left? Wait—you're going?"

Much to my hormone's disappointment, he nodded. "I've got a case up north I need to take care of."

"Will I see you again?" My voice totally came across needier than I meant it to.

"Oh, I can almost guarantee it." His grin faltered further. "The truth is, Stintner may have been responsible for some of the missing money from the books, and your father's murder. But my original case remains open."

I bit my lip. Right. My father's reported mob connections. Ones that I was having a harder and harder time denying, even to myself.

"Ms. King?" one of the uniformed officers said, poking his head into the room. "We need to get a statement from you."

Ryder nodded toward the officer. "I guess duty calls." And with that, he turned and walked out the door, leaving me feeling surprisingly alone despite the presence of the armed officer.

I touched my lips, emotion and pain killers swirling through my system in a cocktail that left me grinning like a fool though the entire police interview.

*  *  *

I stood outside the boardroom door, shaking off the remnants of Britton's
harmless
little sleeping pill from hell. While I did indeed sleep, I was finding it hard to focus on the impending emergency board meeting that had been called six days before the scheduled one, in light of Stintner's arrest and the media sensation that was following it. That was one thing Cannetti and crew had been right about—the publicity was
not
good for the casino.

I smoothed my pencil skirt with sweaty palms while I paced the hall. Bittersweet emotions bubbled through me, knowing that the board was behind those doors, discussing the fate of my childhood home. Odd that I thought of it that way now, but after tripping down memory lane for the past few days, I realized that even though I'd lived with my mother 90% of the time, I'd done a lot of growing up within these casino walls.

Walls that might not be standing for much longer.

The door popped open, striking both fear and anticipation through my body simultaneously, and Alfie motioned me in.

Members were seated around a long wooden table, all of them well dressed and somber faced. I was surprised to see Rafe in attendance as well, wearing much the same somber expression as the rest of the assembled group. I fought a wave of guilt at all my prior suspicions about him as I nodded a stiff hello in his direction. He waved a hand in response, but his grim expression didn't change much. Not a good sign.